Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the potato and cook for around 10 minutes until soft. Drain and mash then let the potatoes steam. Set to one side.
1 kg potato
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions and carrots and gently cook for 5 minutes.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 red onions, 2 carrots
Add the garlic and fry for a further 1 minute.
1 garlic cloves
Add the Italian seasoning, worcestshire sauce, tinned tomatoes and stock. Stir together and season with salt and pepper.
1 teaspoon italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes, 200 ml vegetable stock, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper
Bring to the boil, then add the beans, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes
800 g tinned mixed beans
Place in an oven proof dish, spoon the mash evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
150 g mature cheddar cheese
Notes
The nutritional values shown as just for the Vegetarian Cottage Pie and don't include any side dishes.
Ingredient Notes
Mixed Beans - use ones in water rather than brine.
Potatoes - any potatoes that mash well such as Maris Piper, Kind Edward or in the US try Yukon Gold.
Red Onions - these should be firm.
Carrots - any variety, carrots should be firm.
Worcester Sauce - these adds umami to the sauce. If you are vegan, be sure to use a vegan version as the regular version contains anchovies.
Italian Seasoning - a mixed italian seasoning typically containing rosemary, basil and oregano.
Vegetable Stock - use any vegetable stock. I use a stock cube for convenience.
Cheddar Cheese - this is optional but adds more flavour to the topping. For a vegan version you can leave it out or substitute with a vegan cheddar cheese.
Tip & Variations
You can make a vegetarian cottage pie with mixed beans or with lentils. If using lentils, replace the mixed beans with 250g of ready to eat (pre-cooked), green or brown puy lentils. Red lentils will not work very well in this recipe.Swap the mashed potato topping for a sweet potato topping. Use the same amount of sweet potato.Use a vegan cheese on top for a Vegan Cottage Pie. Let your cooked potatoes steam for a few minutes to help dry them out and avoid watery mash which is heavy and will sink into your filling. Add the mashed potatoes with a dessert or tablespoon and spoon it on one spoonful at a time. Start at the edges and work inwards towards the middle.The best potatoes to use for mash are Desiree or Maris Piper potatoes in the UK and Yukon Gold in the US.Finish the dish off under the grill/broiler for a few minutes if you'd like it extra crispy on top.
Storage
Store in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months. It's best defrosted before cooking, but you can cook it from frozen. To cook from frozen, cover the dish with foil and cook for 1 hour – 1 hour 20 minutes at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Uncover for the last 20 minutes and turn the temperature up to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 so that it can crisp on the top.